Texas Hill Country Trail
State: Texas
Length: 868.0 mi / 1396.9 km
Time to Allow: Plan for a few hours to enjoy sections or a week to enjoy the region.
Head closer to the Mexican border to enjoy the rich culture of the Texas Hill Country Trail. The region borders southwest Texas, with San Antonio and Austin pulling the region together. With 19 counties, Texas Hill Country Trail offers a geographically diverse area filled with lakes, rivers, canyon, caves, and even underground springs. Several larger towns help to fill out the region, too, with museums, festivals, and history.
Starting with the state capital Austin, you get a town filled with historical significance and unlimited activities from museums to botanical gardens and more. San Antonio serves as the home of the infamous Alamo and the Riverwalk, along with impressive culture and heritage, making it a destination. Take a couple of days to explore the city, including a genealogical Museum, Fort Sam Houston, and a variety of museums and churches.
One notable location not often on the radar is Stonehenge II, a tribute to the English ancient stone monoliths. Find this spectacle in Ingram, Texas, and visit for free during daylight hours. If you prefer natural wonders, step out into Cascade Caverns or the Cave Without A Name in Boerne and pan for gems. Other options include the Inner Space Caverns in Georgetown, Longhorn Cavern State Park in Burnet, Natural Bridge Caverns in New Braunfels, r the Wonder Cave at Wonder World Park in San Marcos.
Do not just visit the big cities, set aside time to see the smaller cities too. Take a real vacation in the Concan resort area with clear waters on the Frio River and bat cave tours too. Visit the cowboy capital Bandera for a drink at the Silver Dollar Saloon and a couple of dude ranches and a frontier museum ready to transport you to the past.
Find more water sports at Canyon Lake, the water recreation capital of Texas with access to the Guadalupe River, turned into a camper’s dream. Recent flooding revealed layers of rock strata and fossils ready to delight visitors with an amazing prehistoric past.
No trip to Texas is complete without stopping in the German town of Fredericksburg, with a history dating back to 1846. Wagon trains brought settlers in, and now the area features vineyards, towering churches, and museums. Try out authentic German cuisine along with Tex Mex, Spanish, and even French options to delight anyone.
Visit the Colorado River without stepping foot into Colorado with a visit to Marble Falls. The river deposits into Buchanan Lake, and the entire town has dedicated to making the water a destination. Find wildlife refuges and waterfalls along with tons of outdoor activities along with shopping and wine when you are done exploring the wilderness.
Texas Hill Country overs a vast diversity with European influences and larger cities closer together for more options to explore both indoors and outdoors. Many celebrities and even a president or two have called this area home with enough options to keep you busy for the entire summer or a lifetime!
Local Information
Texas Heritage Trails – Hill Country Trail – Before your trip, visit this colorful website for maps, itineraries, calendar of events and description of the attractions to be found on the Hill Country Trail.
More Texas Byways
You can check out additional Byways in Texas by clicking on the list of byways below, or by going to the Texas Byways home section. To find even more of scenic byways in the United States, visit our scenic byways map.